


Of Mulled Wine and Love

by ninetiesnecklace



Category: Being Human (UK), The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: Christmas market, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-02 22:03:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2827637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninetiesnecklace/pseuds/ninetiesnecklace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mitchell misses a Christmas market get-together because he has to work an additional nightshift.<br/>Grumpy, cold Mitchell and sleepy, loving boyfriend Anders.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Mulled Wine and Love

**Author's Note:**

> A bit of Christmas-themed fluff. Happy holidays, everyone!

Mitchell shivered as an icy drop sneaked its way under his scarf and ran down his neck. The snow was still pretty rainy in its quality. This disgusting mixture had started to tumble from the skies an hour earlier and had grown into a properly unpleasant drizzle. He pulled up his jacket that little bit further to keep out the cold and walked faster down the deserted streets of Bristol. He couldn’t wait to get home to Anders, even though he would surely be fast asleep. Bloody spontaneous late shift.

No one passed Mitchell on his way, not even a cab he could hail to get out of the bloody cold. His body temperature wasn’t as high as a normal human being’s but that didn’t keep him from freezing - whoever made up the rumour that vampires were immune to both heat and cold had surely not been one. His teeth were chattering despite the many layers of clothing he wore and the clammy cold found its way under his jacket. Of course it couldn’t have started snowing an hour later, he thought, disgruntled, and stared at the cheerful Christmas decorations in the houses’ windows as if they were personally to blame for his situation.

It was supposed to be such a nice evening. Ty and Dawn had called them up earlier this week to meet at the Christmas market in town for a get-together – and both Anders and Mitchell had very much looked forward to it. Of course Anders had made a point of stressing how commercialised and glitzy Christmas markets were, like every year. But Mitchell knew that he loved wandering around the stalls, drinking grog outside, all wrapped up in a thick winter jacket and ideally with his boyfriend’s arms around him.

Mitchell frowned, wishing he could’ve been there, kissing Anders’ cold nose and drinking a mug of his favourite mulled wine. Not only that. He had been so excited to talk to Dawn about her pregnancy and run a few ideas by her what sort of thing his niece would like to do once she was born. It couldn’t be long now, Mitchell thought, what did she say? Another month or two. He had carefully considered which kind of uncle he would like to be and stuck with his first intuition: he would be cool Uncle Mitch (no one else got to call him Mitch, just to be clear on that right away) who plays games, builds stuff and takes his little niece on adventurous trips. Anders had laughed and said he should pipe it down until she could at least hold her own head but Mitchell was so excited that he had already started to buy basic material for a treehouse.

But Mitchell had missed all of it. No mulled wine for him, no roasted almonds, no chats with Ty and Dawn. And, sadly enough, not the excited grin on Anders’ face when he found a particularly awful hat to put on Mitchell’s unruly hair.

He sighed deeply, his breath leaving his mouth in white puffs. The call had come in about two hours before their meeting. Everyone had called in sick, apparently, leaving Mitchell to cover the shift. Anders had offered to talk someone around to letting him off the hook but Mitchell’s sense of duty had prevailed – stupid, really, when he thought about it now. Not only had he missed out on the fun but to add insult to injury this shift had been awful. Precisely because it had been slow. _Nothing_ had happened and more than once Mitchell had wondered whether anyone would even notice if he disappeared.

Couldn’t it at least be dry outside? The drizzle had become proper snow by now but still the humidity chilled him to the bone. His mood dropped further with every step of the ridiculous long street that would eventually end in front of their flat.

Mitchell dared to take his hand out of his pocket to check the time. 2:17 am. What a depressing time to be awake on your own. But at least he had sneaked out a few minutes earlier and would soon snuggle up to his favourite god and forget the world for a while. If he arrived before he froze to the spot, that is. He shoved his gloved hand as deep back into his pockets as possible and walked on.

 

* * * * * *

 

Mitchell fumbled for his keys, cursing under his breath when they nearly slipped from his numb fingers. Just through this door, just another step and he’d be home. Where Anders was. Where it was warm. Mitchell turned the key and opened the door as silently as he could. He shrugged off his coat, boots and gloves and walked down the short corridor to the living room – which was illuminated in soft, flickering orange. A small fire was burning in the fireplace, warming up the room pleasantly and he sighed in delight as the first hints of warmth came through his clothes. Mitchell put his wallet and keys on the table and turned towards the fire. Only then did he notice the figure on the couch, hidden from him before.

Coming around the side he was greeted by the sight of his blond god lying on the couch, dozing. A slow smile bloomed on Mitchell’s face. Anders was wrapped in a blanket, a book on his chest spine-up and his head resting on the armrest. His lips were slightly parted, cheeks glowing with the warmth of the fire. An image of peace and calm, and all that Mitchell needed to lighten his mood.

Anders stirred under his blanket, giving a sleepy huff.

“Hey,” Mitchell whispered and sat down next to him, picking up the book and placing it on the couch table.

“There you are,” Anders murmured. He opened his eyes a tiny bit before running his right through Mitchell’s damp hair and into his neck. The brunet leaned towards him and kissed him softly on the warm lips that tingled on his own.

“Mitchell, you’re freezing…” Anders’ voice was still sleepy but took on a worried tone – distinctly coloured by his accent that sneaked in stronger when he was tired. “Come here.”

He lifted the blanket and pulled Mitchell into his arms. The vampire cuddled up close to Anders while trying not to touch exposed skin with his ice-cold hands.

“It’s snowing outside,” Mitchell said and a shiver ran through his body as the first real gush of heat spread through him. Anders’ body felt so wonderfully warm and soft against his. When he tugged in the blanket around them Anders reached for his hands and held them in between his own, rubbing slow patterns on Mitchell’s skin. The brunet hummed contently at the soothing feeling of Anders’ soft fingers on his coarse hands and nuzzled his neck, breathing in his lover’s scent.

“What are you doing up?” the vampire asked softly in Anders’ ear.

“Waiting for you… I didn’t want to sleep alone,” Anders whispered, waking up gradually, “I’m glad you’re here now.”

“Me too. The shift was a joke… I’m so sorry I missed the Christmas market and made you go to bed alone.”

Anders’ answer was a gentle grazing of his lips. The brunet smiled into the kiss, knowing that this was Anders’ way of reassuring him that it was okay. For the god of poetry he was quite sparing with words sometimes but that didn’t mean anything. No, Anders showed his love in actions as Mitchell knew. Probably because he knew the deceptive nature of words better than anyone else.

Mitchell sighed happily and relaxed with every moment he spent in his lovers’ warm arms, the annoying shift forgotten. All that mattered was Anders’ compact body against his and the warmth getting through to his skin.

“I got you something.” Anders began to stir, a hint of excitement in his voice.

“Hm?” Mitchell held on to him, not prepared to let him leave just like that. But Anders wiggled out of grip with a certain elegance and sat up.

“What are you doing?” Mitchell asked surprised, propping himself up against the backrest.

“Wait here.”

“Okay…” Anders’ sudden energy confused the Irishman. All he wanted was to snuggle up to the god but the animated tone made him shut up and wait.

Anders kissed him on the nose with a twinkle in his eyes and made sure the blanket sat properly on Mitchell’s shoulders before disappearing into the kitchen. Mitchell leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. He couldn’t have followed Anders if he wanted to – the warmth of the fire caressed his face and dried his curls, wrapping him in a cocoon of comfort. Nothing would make him leave the fireside for now, seeing that he was finally regaining feeling in his fingers and the rest of his body was well on its way to his normal temperature again. His muscles were easing up, leaving him not tired but pleasantly inert.

The distinct sound of a microwave timer reached Mitchell’s ear, soon followed by Anders padding back to the couch with two steaming mugs in his hands.

“Here,” he handed one of them to Mitchell and sat down next to him, “This should put the chill out of your bones.”

“Is that…” Mitchell’s eyes grew wide as he looked at the dark red liquid that swirled around in his mug. The spicy but sweet smell filled his nostrils.

“Mulled wine from the stall next to the bakery,” Anders smiled and added, a little bashfully, “I know how much you love their recipe.”

“You brought some home?” Mitchell asked excitedly and looked at Anders. His Anders with the tousled hair and shy smile, looking expectantly at Mitchell through eyes in which sleep still sat.

“Yeah… There’s another bottle in the kitchen.”

Mitchell’s face lit up in a big grin at the prospect of more of the good stuff before drawing his eyebrows together and throwing Anders a questioning look.

“But I thought they only sell it individually…”

“That’s what they told you.” Anders’ eyes smirked as he nodded invitingly at the mug in the brunet’s hand.

Mitchell took a careful sip as not to burn his tongue on the hot drink. It ran down his throat and chased the last residue of chill from his body. And the taste… Mitchell closed his eyes in delight as the sweetness of the wine hit his taste buds and the spices dispersed on his tongue.

“Oh god…” he all but moaned, “that’s fantastic.”

He blinked at Anders and kissed him, both their lips tasting like wine and Christmas, and home.

Mitchell moved the corner of the sofa and pulled the god towards him, careful not to spill a drop of the sweet drink. Giving a content sigh, Anders settled comfortably into the vampire’s larger frame.

“Thank you, Anders,” Mitchell’s words rang with love and gratitude as he placed a kiss on the blond’s temple, “this is perfect.”

“If you can’t come to the Christmas market I have to take it to you.”

That’s Anders Johnson for you, Mitchell thought, no matter what anyone else said: this man was a kind and delicate soul. A warmth spread through him that had nothing to do with either the fire or the hot drink.

“How was the market?” Mitchell asked, sipping his drink and savouring every drop.

“Very nice… but I missed you.” Anders finished his mug and placed it on the couch table. He snuggled against Mitchell’s chest, both his arms wrapped around his waist, bodily sprawled out on top of him. “I saw a few spectacularly awful hats, Mitchell, we need to go back there.”

The vampire smiled, fixed the blanket over Anders to make sure he wouldn’t be cold and leaned back comfortably. “I’d love to.”

He ran his hand through the short locks to which Anders gave a happy, sleepy purr. “Dawn and Ty say hi.”

“How are they? Is Dawn feeling well?” Mitchell placed the empty mug carefully on the floor and wrapped his arms around Anders.

“Everyone’s fine. Dawn’s so excited to be a mum soon and Ty looked so proud.” Anders smiled, “I’m so happy for them. They were picking out stuff for the baby, there was this one stall with awesome onesies…”

Anders interrupted himself with a long yawn and nestled even closer to Mitchell. _My_ _boyfriend, the human cat_ , the vampire thought with a grin and stroked through Anders’ beard – which made him crane his neck into the touch.

“It won’t be long now and we’ll be uncles,” Mitchell said, thinking of the new tools he had parked in the basement for now.

“Yeah… that’ll be great. Uncle Mitchell and Uncle Anders…” The smile was clearly audible before Anders’ words trailed off in a tired murmur.

“Sounds very good to me.” The Irishman pressed a kiss on Anders’ hair. It smelled of burning timber from the fireplace, looking golden in the soft light.

“Did you talk to Dawn about the treehouse?”

“Oh no,” Anders made an effort to answer, his voice slurring, “I’ll let you do that and watch the disaster from afar.”

“She’ll love the idea,” the brunet insisted with a playful huff.

A mumbled “Mhm…” was the only answer he got before Anders fell asleep completely. His ear was placed on Mitchell’s heart, his chest moved in deep and easy breaths while his arms softly grabbed Mitchell’s sides. Careful not to wake Anders he reached for a cushion that had fallen down and stuffed it under his head, comfortably settling in for the night. He was thoroughly warm now and the familiar weight of Anders on his chest made Mitchell hum in joy. The taste of mulled wine still lingered on his lips.

It was true, he thought, Anders showed his love in actions. But he, Mitchell, had his heart connected to his mouth.

The brunet smiled at the little trail of drool that ran out of the side of Anders’ mouth and onto Mitchell’s shirt.

Just before he closed his eyes and gave in to sleep he softly whispered, “I love you, Anders.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading :)


End file.
